ANOTHER Blog?!

The marketing department at ASF asked me to write about my typical rehearsal day for the Shake It Up Times ASF Blog. Check it out!

Link to the blog's main page is here.

40 Days... an internal search

Hey Blog Buddies!!! A couple of week back (actually 20 days ago) I was at Barnes & Noble with Lynn & Jerry. We had just commented that there were exactly 40 days left till graduation. Moments later I was drooling over the various mole skin notebooks in the journal/diary section when I stumbled onto 40 Days and 40 Nights: Taking Time Out For Self-Discovery, A Guided Journal. It seemed perfect! I had 40 days left as a grad student in Alabama and this journal would give me the chance to take time to explore my inner self while in school. Hopefully I'd emerge after graduation a better person, right? Well.. that sounds great, but my last 40 days in grad school are actually pretty busy and hectic. I'm SMing a show, closed the rep season, and I'm battling the ever growing pile of Theatre History homework that I just keep putting off. Not to mention my planning a move and apartment hunting, etc. Nevertheless, I kept up with the journal for a couple of weeks. Here are my thoughts:

The book starts by asking you to choose an intention. Why are you doing the exercise? I chose "to learn more about myself". Each day includes an activity and several journal prompts to help inspire me to write. For example, Day 8 says "Open a line of communication between you and your intuition and listen witht he intent to really hear. Activity: Calm down and relax. Put your fingertips to your pulse. Find your heartbeat, release, and sit quietly. Then whisper the following words: 'What do I need to know to help me with my intention? What do I need to do or not do?' Let things percolate. Listen for your intuition- it might be a voice, a body sensation, or fleeting images. Write down whatever comes to you; it's almost like taking dication." I wrote "The image of a potted plant refused to leave my mind-- perhaps a bonzai tree." The wierd thing is- I have no patience for potted plants. I either overwater them or ignor them. Either way, a house plant has a short lifespan in my home. I don't really take pleasure in caring for a plant. So why when I asked myself "What do I need to know to learn more about myself" I saw the image of a potted plant? Maybe I'm trying to tell myself to be patient. It's all open to interpretation.
Next day 8 had two journal prompts.:

• Whose voice do you love the sound of? Why? How does it affect you?
• Write down a secret you've kept a long time. How does it feel to finaly spill it out?

These questions/instructions prompted me to write about my mother and my lack of secrets. I mean, there are a few friends who know everything about me-- really.

But that was day 8-- and even then I wasn't really doing the journal right. It gave me 3 pages to write on but I barely filled one. I'd also wait to the middle of the night, right before bed to do my journal. I never really gave it the time and attention it required. Much like a potted plant. Hmm...

But now it's day 21 and I've not picked up the book for 4 days. I don't think this is a reason to thow the book away-- I'll read thru the missed days today and see what happens. But I'm just not going to force myself into daiy devotional. I can learn more about myself outside of that structured plan I think. Thoughts?

Procrastination

I'm sitting in a dirty room with
a closet full of laundry.
Behind me is an unmade bed.
To my right, a grocery list
next to some dirty dishes.
A stack of papers from class and some
plays I need to read sit on top of the printer.

My eyes glaze over as I click
"Stumble!"

Bullet List of the Week

• I love NPR and I wish I had more time to listen to it! Moreover, I need to read more news. My god, I didn't even know Tim Russert had died until today-- I live in a theatre cave! Does anyone know of a good online news service that would keep me updated? I could just check new york times dot come or something. Hmm...
• I can't explain how excited I am about my plans after graduation. I can't wait to move to Cincinnati and start working at Ensemble! That being said, I'm already stressing out about the move and finding an apartment there. So I bought a moving planner kit. It's helpful-- but it makes me realize how much work is ahead of me.
  
• Speaking of work that's ahead of me, I'm in Theatre History procrastination hell again. But really, my final semester shouldn't be any different than the last 3, right? At this point, it's a tradition to wait till the last minute. [music from 'Fiddler' fades up] Tradition!
  
• I crave crackers & peanut butter with milk! I think I'll go get some now...
  
• [Intermission]
  
• Mmm.. that was good. BTW- If I'm not careful, the TV will eat my soul. I find myself watching some random anime.
  
• So, my graduate teaching assistant health insurance really sucks. I had strep throat in April and went to a walk in clinic and got some antibiotics. I just got a bill for $81! My health insurance didn't cover a penny of it! GRR!
• Sometimes my cat falls asleep on her back and it's adorable-- but looks oddly unnatural-- like I drugged her and posed her that way.
• That's all for now. :)
  

"What's Next" or "Mike Got a Job"

I've always had good luck on Friday the 13th. Today (or yesterday as I type this so late at night) was no exception and I have news---- I'm happy to announce that I will be the new Production Stage Manager at Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati! I'm very excited about this new opportunity and thought I'd share the news with you, my friends and blog buddies. :) More to come soon-

Greg's Headshots

IMG_1640 copy
Originally uploaded by The Mike Jones

I had a shoot this afternoon with my friend Greg. We got some good shots- check um out. :)